Chornalth Adventures - Liga

Morrolan e'Drien

Description:

Bio:

A Dragonlord, Duke of Southmoor, and the Lord of Castle Black. Morrolan e’Drien also serves as the Court Wizard of the Dragaeran Empire since the disgrace of Sethra the Younger.

Morrolan’s father was Rollondar e’Drien, who was Warlord under Tortaalik just before the Interregnum, and was killed during Adron’s Disaster. His mother was Adron e’Kieron’s youngest sister, but we know very little about her; not even her name.

Morrolan is relatively even tempered for a Dragonlord, but never takes insults lightly. He supervises a party at his floating castle that has been going on for two hundred years non-stop. He is particularly devoted to the safety of his guests, and notoriously aggresive to any who dare violate it.

Morrolan was born in the first year of the Interregnum and raised in the East. We know little of his foster family, other than the fact that they raised him as a human (that is to say, an Easterner) and never told him he was one of the faerie.

His name, given to him (according to Paarfi) by a coachman named Miska, means “Dark Star”, either in the language of the Silatan (which Paarfi has Teldra assert) or the ancient tongue of the Dragon (which is what Vlad hears from Teldra); these may even be the same language. He also used the name “Dark Star” translated into Fenarian – “Sötétcsilleg”.

As a youth, Morrolan studied the Eastern art of witchcraft.

He lived for many years in Blackchapel, where he met the priestess Arra, dedicated himself to the Demon Goddess Verra, and formed a coven of witches. Blackchapel was then overrun and destroyed by neighboring villages in the name of Tri’nagore, and in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Morrolan.

Shortly before the end of the Interregnum, he discovered his origins, thanks to Miska, Arra, and Teldra, and came to the Dragaeran Empire to reclaim his ancestral lands, Southmoor. As he did so, the Orb returned to the world, re-enabling sorcery, and he dedicated himself to learning to be a sorcerer, which he quickly achieved. (With help from Sethra Lavode and Tukko). According to Paarfi, the gods prophesy that Morrolan will one day go beyond this into Elder Sorcery, and Verra believes that his incorrect bloodline (i.e. not e’Kieron) may not prevent this. (“We shall see”, she says, and sure enough, Morrolan does later on receive an injection of a goddess’s blood, which may indeed make it possible.)

He was instrumental in winning the battles which secured Zerika the Fourth the Imperial throne, one of which required the levitation of his fledgling home, Castle Black, and another of which required him to slay the god Tri’nagore. He combined this slaying of the god with his belated revenge for the destruction of Blackchapel. Later in Vlad’s time, Morrolan’s singlehanded destruction of the three neighboring villages remained in Eastern legend, though the revenge motive, and his slaying of the god, were not as well known.

For the next two hundred and forty years, Morrolan solidified his place as one of the more influential aristocrats in the Empire. His friendships with Sethra Lavode and Zerika the Fourth, and his penchant for hosting long-running housewarming parties, did a great deal to aid in this.

At some point, Morrolan’s study of sorcery came to the point that he became a Wizard. He also began a serious study of Elder Sorcery, collecting numerous books on the subject, and also began collecting Morganti weapons. Both of these practices being technically illegal, it is clear that Morrolan has little regard for the niceties of the law when it conflicts with his own interests.

Morrolan is a formidable witch, (unusual for a Dragaeran). He is the master of the Great Weapon Blackwand (which also acts as his familiar!), which he received from Sethra Lavode as “tribute”, since she lived within his demesne. (Though according to Paarfi, who corresponded with Sethra, “tribute” was not among Sethra’s chief reasons for making the gift.)

Morrolan is considered to be extremely vain, taking considerable care of his appearance, but also, especially in his extreme youth, particularly naïve. That these traits coincide with his considerable talent and skill is a source of amusement for some and frustration for others.

The priestess Arra initiated, and long maintained, a large coven or Circle of Eastern witches in Morrolan’s name within the lower levels of Castle Black. By the time of Issola, the Circle has apparently moved into the east tower of Castle Black, and Arra is no longer head of the circle.